Schwellenatlas

The present Threshold Atlas is – in content and with an ironic contrast to the usual genre of construction technical compendiums – finally the comprehensive handbook for the use-oriented yet culturally and historically reflective design of architectural entry, exit, passage, and transition points. When are design decisions ever made with consideration for how an automatic door closer disciplines its users, how biometric access control fragments the body, or what mirrored glass says about late capitalism? An exploration of the background of specific architectural components and technical objects reveals a great deal about the conventions and conditions of contemporary construction. Starting with specific components and technical devices of the threshold, the authors focus on different fields of discourse around transition, which conceptually frame the relationship between inside and outside while simultaneously influencing architectural practice. What changes are the construction and significance of architectural thresholds undergoing, and how do they alter conventional notions of space?